HP 1606 Fabric OS Administrator's Guide v6.4.0 (53-1001763-01, June 2010) - Page 262

Limitations and restrictions of Virtual Fabrics

Page 262 highlights

10 Limitations and restrictions of Virtual Fabrics TABLE 46 Virtual Fabrics interaction with Fabric OS features Fabric OS feature Virtual Fabrics interaction Admin Domains Configuration upload and download Encryption FC-FC Routing Service FICON Interoperability mode Licensing Performance monitoring Port mirroring QoS Traffic Isolation Virtual Fabrics and Admin Domains are mutually exclusive and are not supported at the same time on a switch. To use Admin Domains, you must first disable Virtual Fabrics; to use Virtual Fabrics, you must first delete all Admin Domains. See "Deleting all user-defined Admin Domains non-disruptively" on page 352 for information on deleting Admin Domains without disrupting device-to-device communication. Virtual Fabrics uses a configuration file that is different from the configuration file used to download system configuration parameters. See Chapter 8, "Maintaining the Switch Configuration File," for more information about how Virtual Fabrics affects the configuration file. Encryption functionality using the FS8-18 blade is available only on the default logical switch. All EX_Ports must reside in a base switch. You cannot attach EX_Ports to a logical switch that has XISL use enabled. You must use ISLs to connect the logical switches in an edge fabric. Only 8-Gbps ports are allowed to be used as FC router EX_Ports, with the exception of VEX_Ports on the FR4-18i blade. See Chapter 21, "Using the FC-FC Routing Service," for more information about Virtual Fabrics and FC-FC routing. Up to two logical switches per chassis can run FICON Management Server (CUP), but the FICON logical switch must use ISLs and not XISLs. In interoperability modes 2 and 3, you cannot use XISL in the logical fabric. The logical switches must be connected only with ISLs. Licenses are applicable for all logical switches in a chassis. Performance monitors are supported in a limited number of logical switches, depending on the platform type. See Chapter 17, "Monitoring Fabric Performance," for more information about performance monitoring when Virtual Fabrics are enabled. Port mirroring is not supported when Virtual Fabrics is enabled. QoS VCs are maintained across the base fabric. See Chapter 18, "Optimizing Fabric Behavior," for more information about using the Adaptive Networking features with Virtual Fabrics. Traffic Isolation zones with failover disabled are not supported in logical fabrics. See Chapter 18, "Optimizing Fabric Behavior," for additional information about using TI Zones with Virtual Fabrics. Limitations and restrictions of Virtual Fabrics The maximum number of logical switches per chassis varies depending on the switch model. Table 47 lists the supported platforms and the maximum number of logical switches (including the default logical switch) supported on each. TABLE 47 Platform Maximum number of logical switches per chassis Maximum number of logical switches Brocade DCX 8 Brocade DCX-4S 8 222 Fabric OS Administrator's Guide 53-1001763-01

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Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide
53-1001763-01
Limitations and restrictions of Virtual Fabrics
10
Limitations and restrictions of Virtual Fabrics
The maximum number of logical switches per chassis varies depending on the switch model.
Table 47
lists the supported platforms and the maximum number of logical switches (including the
default logical switch) supported on each.
TABLE 46
Virtual Fabrics interaction with Fabric OS features
Fabric OS feature
Virtual Fabrics interaction
Admin Domains
Virtual Fabrics and Admin Domains are mutually exclusive and are not supported at the
same time on a switch. To use Admin Domains, you must first disable Virtual Fabrics; to
use Virtual Fabrics, you must first delete all Admin Domains.
See
“Deleting all user-defined Admin Domains non-disruptively”
on page 352 for
information on deleting Admin Domains without disrupting device-to-device
communication.
Configuration upload
and download
Virtual Fabrics uses a configuration file that is different from the configuration file used
to download system configuration parameters. See
Chapter 8, “Maintaining the Switch
Configuration File,”
for more information about how Virtual Fabrics affects the
configuration file.
Encryption
Encryption functionality using the FS8-18 blade is available only on the default logical
switch.
FC-FC Routing Service
All EX_Ports must reside in a base switch.
You cannot attach EX_Ports to a logical switch that has XISL use enabled. You must use
ISLs to connect the logical switches in an edge fabric.
Only 8-Gbps ports are allowed to be used as FC router EX_Ports, with the exception of
VEX_Ports on the FR4-18i blade.
See
Chapter 21, “Using the FC-FC Routing Service,”
for more information about Virtual
Fabrics and FC-FC routing.
FICON
Up to two logical switches per chassis can run FICON Management Server (CUP), but the
FICON logical switch must use ISLs and not XISLs.
Interoperability mode
In interoperability modes 2 and 3, you cannot use XISL in the logical fabric. The logical
switches must be connected only with ISLs.
Licensing
Licenses are applicable for all logical switches in a chassis.
Performance
monitoring
Performance monitors are supported in a limited number of logical switches, depending
on the platform type. See
Chapter 17, “Monitoring Fabric Performance,”
for more
information about performance monitoring when Virtual Fabrics are enabled.
Port mirroring
Port mirroring is not supported when Virtual Fabrics is enabled.
QoS
QoS VCs are maintained across the base fabric. See
Chapter 18, “Optimizing Fabric
Behavior,”
for more information about using the Adaptive Networking features with
Virtual Fabrics.
Traffic Isolation
Traffic Isolation zones with failover disabled are not supported in logical fabrics. See
Chapter 18, “Optimizing Fabric Behavior,”
for additional information about using TI
Zones with Virtual Fabrics.
TABLE 47
Maximum number of logical switches per chassis
Platform
Maximum number of logical switches
Brocade DCX
8
Brocade DCX-4S
8